Does Recreational Marijuana Use Lead To Addiction?

Marijuana use will always be a controversial topic but I recently read an advice column on how to kick a cannabis habit and it caused quite a stir with readers. As I perused through the comments I realized that people were angered by the fact that the author provided a lackluster answer for how to quit. In addition to a “try on your own” example, she continued by listing some addiction treatment methods.

Many readers seemed upset by the author’s quote, “Like all heavy drug users, stoners get high for a reason; to get your drug use under control, you need to find other ways of solving the problem.” My question is, does everyone smoke pot due to underlying reasons? Do people who smoke pot, smoke to get high every time or use it just to relax? Just because someone smokes pot doesn’t mean they are necessarily doing it to become high, I believe many people are recreational marijuana users because, well they simply like it, it’s comparable to a glass of wine after work for them.

Furthermore, if the effects of marijuana are not affecting their job, relationships or overall quality of life, why should they stop?

Now while many readers admitted that even though they were daily users they are still extremely productive and successful, but on the flip side people were upset that the author did not take marijuana addiction more seriously. Who decides when occasional pot use is considered heavy? How is someone diagnosed with a “marijuana addiction?” Many drug treatment centers who treat people for a marijuana addiction will blame it on underlying issues, they ignore the fact that people enjoy the high and blame their use on trying to forget their past failures.

If marijuana use wasn’t illegal and the treatment industry didn’t exist, I don’t see marijuana addiction even being considered a problem today. In fact the treatment industry has continuously lead people to believe they are addicted to pot, when most people can and do stop at any time on their own, without ever needing treatment. A first time offender of pot possession will most likely be offered drug rehabilitation or jail, or in some cases both. They may be court ordered to attend meetings such as Narcotics Anonymous or Marijuana Anonymous. Once they are entered into a “treatment” program, the person using is told they have a drug addiction, from which they can never recover. This belief creates a cycle of endless addiction.

So what do you think? I would love to hear other opinions as to what constitutes “heavy” pot use and if you think many people enjoy marijuana for the high or do they perceive to gain other advantages from it?